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1 week ago | 
behavioralscientist.org | Michael Hallsworth |Evan Nesterak
A decade is a long time in behavioral science. Since the Behavioural Insights Team was established in the U.K. government in 2010, I’ve seen new units, debates, and techniques spread across the globe at breakneck speed. The field is much broader and stronger now than it was when we began, thanks to skill, effort, and painful reckonings. So when, late last year, I turned to revisit and update the EAST framework, I felt a bit apprehensive.
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2 weeks ago | 
behavioralscientist.org | Heather Graci |Evan Nesterak
Contraceptives are available in Sub-Saharan Africa, but maternal deaths caused by unwanted pregnancies are still rampant. Refugee agencies support those forced to flee their homes, but don’t always know where they’ll go—or what they’ll need when they get there. AI-powered tutors provide crucial support to kids struggling in under-resourced schools, but may not treat their students equally.
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3 weeks ago | 
behavioralscientist.org | Evan Nesterak
We are happy to announce a new online conversation series, “Frontiers,” where we’ll host live conversations with people who are pushing the boundaries of behavioral science. The series will showcase behavioral science perspectives on contemporary issues, cutting edge approaches to applying behavioral science, and conversations on the craft of behavioral science and design.
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2 months ago | 
behavioralscientist.org | Evan Nesterak
Every day, another feature of society is poised for an AI revolution. How will AI change (big inhale) our jobs, relationships, parenting, schools, art, music, sex, war, public safety, public policy, public transport, scientific research, health care, food systems, factories, banks, insurance, retirement…? We can’t answer these questions about AI today. We don’t know where we’ll end up. But we can get a sense for where we’re headed.
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Jan 22, 2025 | 
behavioralscientist.org | Evan Nesterak
Reading Oliver Burkeman feels as if someone reached into your thoughts and pulled out all the advice you’ve ever received on productivity, time-management, work-life balance, burnout, and well-being so you could get a clear look at it. With everything in the open, you’re able to see what’s useful and what’s junk. It feels like mental spring-cleaning. You can discard all that overconfident and contradictory advice you collected over the years.
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Jan 11, 2025 | 
behavioralscientist.org | Evan Nesterak
It’s that time of year again when everything becomes possible. You’re going to run that marathon, master that second language, or start playing the piano. In fact, you’ll do all three. There’s an energy this time of year, a renewed sense of momentum and hope. Unless there’s not. It’s also that time of year when the expectation of reinvention and dramatic jumps can feel more like a shackle than a springboard.
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Dec 16, 2024 | 
behavioralscientist.org | Antonia Violante |Evan Nesterak
Welcome to our selection of Notable Books for 2024. Each year, we review hundreds of newly published titles covering the science of human behavior. Our goal is to select the books that educate and entice us, surprise and delight us, and leave us smarter, wiser, and better informed about ourselves and our world. This year’s list features 45 books, each published in 2024.
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Nov 7, 2024 | 
behavioralscientist.org | Evan Nesterak
“A thousand years of history and contemporary evidence make one thing abundantly clear,” write newly minted Nobel laureates Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson in their book Power and Progress. “There is nothing automatic about new technologies bringing widespread prosperity.
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Jul 30, 2024 | 
bookclub.behavioralscientist.org | Evan Nesterak
And we’re off! This week is the official start of Techno-Visions. It means it’s time to get reading, and that you can keep your eyes out for bonus content starting this week. We’ll also announce the expert conversation lineup soon. As we begin, I want to share an overview of this summer’s schedule and more about what you can expect from the bonus content, discussions, and expert conversations. I also wanted to point out something worth noticing in Vonnegut’s approach to this topic. Not signed up yet?
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Jul 24, 2024 | 
behavioralscientist.org | Evan Nesterak
We’re excited to invite you to join a new book club we’re hosting this summer titled “Techno-Visions.”We’ll read Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Player Piano, about a future society full of powerful machines, the special class of engineers who manages them, and the people at the mercy of both. The 1952 novel poses questions that we’re still seeking answers to, even more urgently in the age of AI, about what technological progress means for us individually and collectively.
